Temptation
by HydeLuver
Summary: She always knew how to drive him crazy, and this time is no different.
1. Chapter 1

******Disclaimer: I do not own That 70s Show or any of the characters, with the exception of Matthew.**

Hyde sits on his usual seat in the basement, his legs propped up on the ottoman and his glasses in place. He half listens as Eric, Fez and Kelso carry on a pointless conversation about a woman Kelso hit on at the Piggly Wiggly.

"I'm telling you, she was totally hitting on me. Man, older ladies love them a piece of this" Kelso says, his hands slowly slithering down his body as he says it.

"A piece of what?" Fez asks confused.

"Of me, they love them a piece of me" Kelso explains, his shining moment fading due to his friend's naiveté.

"Why would they want a piece if they can have the whole thing?" Fez presses on, the saying clearly going over his head.

"Fez, man just leave it alone" Eric intervenes, not wanting to deal with several more minutes of banter between his two friends.

Fez nods his head reluctantly and looks back at the television where a commercial of a man solving a Rubik's Cube is playing. The foreigner's eyes pop open as the guy manages to match up every side of the cube. "Unbelievable" Fez exclaims and Hyde smirks at his friend's excitement.

For a while longer, the four men sit silently, focusing on the black and white images coming on the screen. Since the turn of the decade, things have been chaotic for the group so they haven't had too many moments of silence like this one. Hyde inhales quietly and basks in the calmness of the moment. He enjoys not having to hear about Donna and Eric going off to college in the fall or Fez and his new job. He doesn't have to pretend to care that Kelso got fired again from whatever job he has at the moment, and he sure as hell doesn't care about Jackie.

It's been a few days since he's seen her down in the basement, four days actually, not that he's keeping track. On the days that she does come by she doesn't stay for very long, usually an hour, hour and a half. Never longer.

He hears from the others that she is keeping herself busy, might have overheard that she's taking a few classes over at the community college. Whatever though, who cares. Jackie is no longer his business, hasn't been for several months now, and that's the way he likes it. He doesn't have to worry about checking in with anyone or buying birthday presents, Valentine's Day presents...Christmas presents, nothing. He can just come home after work, pop open a can of beer and relax.

That's what his life is, what he had always expected it to be. Just a bundle of uncomplicated days doing whatever the hell he wants.

"Hey Eric, where's Donna?" Kelso breaks the silence.

"I don't know. She told me she might be meeting up with Jackie and that guy later. She might be getting ready or something" Eric responds without taking his eyes off the T.V.

_That guy._

Hyde's ears perk up but he makes a strong effort not to make it noticeable. He keeps his eyes glued on the screen and lifts his arm to adjust his sunglasses, make sure they stay put.

"Have any of us met this guy? I mean damn, she talks about him all the time but does he really _exist_?" Kelso asks, his question having more emphasis than he probably intended it to have.

"Who are you, Hyde? You think this is a conspiracy theory?" Eric asks amused by the sudden existential question of his doofus friend.

"I'm just saying man, this is a small town. Don't you think one of us would have at least seen him by now?" Kelso continues.

"Hey, that's true" Fez jumps in.

"Kelso, how many times have we actually left the basement recently?"

The older boy thinks about this for a moment and the nods his head. "You're right" is all he says and then the silence returns.

Hyde focuses on keeping his body straight, making sure that the others can't notice the sudden tension of his muscles. He folds his arms across his chest in his usual way and crosses one over the other. He shifts his eyes over to see if his friends are looking at him and is relieved when he sees all their attention is back on the television.

How is it that he's the only person who hasn't heard anything about this guy? He hasn't left the basement either, so how is he more out of the loop than the other three? Hell, how does Fez know something before he does? Fez never knows anything.

_Who gives a shit man, it's Jackie. You don't care about Jackie _he thinks to himself.

"Eric, have you met the guy?" Kelso asks once again interrupting the quiet.

"Kelso, no I haven't met the guy" Eric replies.

"Damn Kelso why do you care so much?" Hyde finally interjects, annoyed that he keeps bringing up this guy.

"Well, damn Hyde I'm sorry but I'm just curious. If we're going to have a new person in this group then we should at least meet him first" Kelso says.

"We are _not _going to have a new person" Hyde quickly jumps in.

"How do you know? Jackie might start bringing her new boyfriend around and before you know it he's hanging around all the time and then he's part of _this_" Kelso says, his hands creating circling wide motioning towards the basement.

"Do you really think Jackie would bring her boyfriend to a place where her previous three boyfriends hang out? Wouldn't that be weird?" Eric asks reasonably.

"She might" Fez says. He suddenly pulls a chocolate bar out of his jean pocket and starts unwrapping it.

Kelso nods his head up and down. "Exactly, she might. I'm just saying someone needs to check this guy out, make sure he's cool and not...you know, a cop or something."

"Kelso, you were a cop" Hyde points out.

"Yeah, but I was a cool cop and stuff. Besides, I was already in the group" he answers.

"Whatever man, Jackie's lame ass boyfriend is not going to be part of the group" Hyde says.

Kelso shrugs his shoulders and looks over at Fez who is quietly nibbling on his candy. Hyde gets back to watching T.V. but it doesn't take long for him to realize that he's been watched. He slowly turns his head over to the couch and notices Eric scrutinizing him. Hyde furrows his forehead.

"What Forman?" he asks.

Eric smirks once he realizes Hyde is no longer "zen."

"You wouldn't care if Jackie's new boyfriend came around here though, would you?" he asks, his smirk never-fading.

"Why the hell should I care?" Hyde asks.

"Oh, I don't know. It's only that Jackie was the last girl you were with so it must be a little weird to see her prancing around making googly eyes to someone else."

"Jackie was not the last chick I was with" Hyde retorts defensively.

"You don't mean Sam do you? Because she does _not _count" Eric says.

"She was my wife so she counts" Hyde answers.

"Yeah, she sooooo counts" Kelso jumps in and starts shaking his chest seductively which makes Fez laugh. Hyde glares at them and they instantly stop.

"Well, technically, you weren't married" Eric corrects.

"Whatever, she counts" Hyde continues.

"Okay, fine. But you didn't love her" Eric says.

"Are you implying that I loved Jackie?" Hyde asks, amusement showing on his face.

"You're telling me you didn't?" Eric asks, his smirk faltering a bit. He's been friends with Hyde since they were kids and he knows his friend better than anyone. Possibly even better than he knows himself. If there is one thing about Steven Hyde Eric knows, it's that he was deep in love with Jackie, whether he wants to admit it or not.

"You're crazy man" Hyde replies and starts getting off his chair. He starts making his way to his room but instantly stops when Eric calls out to him.

"You didn't deny it" he says.

Hyde turns around and takes a few steps towards the couch. "You're crazy" he says once more.

"You still didn't deny it."

"You can't seriously think I was in love with Jackie. Jackie _Burkhart._"

"What do you guys think?" Eric says turning to look at Fez and Kelso. The two men look at Eric and then up at Hyde. They see his menacing glare and just shake their heads, not wanting to offer a reply and get in the middle of it.

"Whatever, just admit it Hyde" Eric presses on.

"No" Hyde says.

"No, you won't admit it or no you didn't love her?" Eric asks.

"Drop it Forman" Hyde threatens. He knows Eric is getting a kick out of this. He always got a kick out of things dealing with Jackie for some reason. This time though, he's hitting too close to home and Hyde would hate to get into in with his best friend.

"Just answer the question. Which one is it?"

"Damn it Forman, I was never in love with Jackie. Okay?" he calls out.

Eric's smirk returns and he nods his head, clearly satisfied that he got a rise from Hyde. Hyde rolls his eyes and takes a deep breath. He looks over at Kelso and Fez and sees their eyes widen. He follows their gaze to the staircase a few feet away and his heart stops when he sees Jackie standing there.

"You sure showed me, didn't you Hyde?" she says, her voice breaking as she says his name.

"Jackie" he calls out but before he can move she dashes up the stairs.

"Fuck" he curses himself out.

"Hyde, I'm sor-" Eric starts.

"Can it Forman" Hyde interrupts him and makes his way to his room, slamming the door loudly behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours later, Hyde emerges from his room and is relieved that Eric, Fez and Kelso aren't there. Instead, he finds Donna sitting on the couch with various papers strewn around her and on the table. He walks towards his usual seat and nods when she greets him.

"I didn't know you were in there" she says, looking back down to a newspaper on her lap.

"Yeah, needed some time" he answers nonchalantly.

She doesn't respond but he notices the corners of her lips curve upwards and he knows that she knows what happened, but he's not about to bring it up.

"What are you doing?" he asks, pointing at all the papers she is shuffling through.

"I'm looking for apartments in Madison. Not trying to buy anything now, just checking what's available. Getting an idea, you know?" she replies.

"I thought you were staying on campus" he says.

Donna looks up at him and shakes her head. "I thought about it, but it costs about the same as an off campus apartment. Also, the dorms are not coed."

"Right" he says, knowing where this conversation is going.

"Yeah, so I thought it would just make more sense to get an apartment and that way Eric and I can split the rent."

Hyde shakes his head from side to side.

"What?" Donna asks, worry now in her voice.

"Nothing man" he replies.

"Hyde, what?" she presses on. She takes the newspaper on her lap and places it on top of the table. She immediately starts panicking, thinking that perhaps Eric has said something to Hyde. Maybe he doesn't want to go to Madison anymore, or he doesn't have any intention of living with her. It's not like they've sat down and agreed on it, she just assumed.

"Do you think it's such a good idea?" Hyde asks. He props his right leg on top his left knee and sits back on his chair.

"I did...I do..Has Eric said anything?" she finally asks.

"No man, you know Forman just goes along with whatever. I'm just saying, he just got back. Do you think moving in together is such a good idea?"

Donna's eyes narrow and she looks away from Hyde. For a few seconds, she stares at the scattered newspapers and sighs. "Yeah" is all she says and immediately, Hyde regrets saying anything. He can tell how excited she is about finding the perfect apartment and shacking up with Eric. Now, he feels like the asshole who popped a little kid's balloon.

"Hey, you guys can do whatever you want. If you want to go play house in Madison, cool. I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't say anything though" he says.

Donna laughs and he sees her mood change instantly, she's excited again. "Thanks Hyde" she says and reaches over to grab the newspaper. Hyde watches through his glasses and she happily browses through it, ripping up certain sections to keep as reference.

This goes on for several minutes. Hyde just continues watching Donna making plans for her future with his best friend, and he's just the spectator. He realizes that many things will change soon, with both Eric and Donna gone. Things would be like when Eric was in Africa, but worst. Then, he at least had Donna around to keep him sane. With her gone, the only people he has are Kelso and Fez.

Hyde lets out an involuntary grunt which causes Donna to look up from the page.

"Something wrong?" she asks.

"What? No man, keep planning the fairy tale" he says jokingly motioning towards the newspaper.

Donna smiles. Her smile isn't a happy one though, not like the one she had a few minutes ago. This one carries sadness and worry with it.

"Don't" Hyde warns.

"Don't what?" Donna asks innocently.

"I know what you're about to say and I don't want to talk about it" he responds. He has a feeling she's going to lecture him about not being more ambitious, not planning for _his _future. He also knows that somewhere in that conversation, she would bring up what happened with Jackie.

"I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't say anything though" she says, taking his words and using it against him.

Again, Hyde grunts. He tilts his head back a bit and stares at the ceiling. He knows that no matter what he says, Donna will get a word in. Eventually she will wear him down and he will have to listen to her talk about how disappointed she is and how he could be doing better. All things he knows, all things he doesn't want to hear, especially not from her.

"Hyde-" she starts but is quickly interrupted.

"I know Donna. I'm a lazy piece of shit who has nothing going on in his life. I'm an asshole who doesn't care about anyone's feelings. Trust me, I've heard it all before."

Donna furrows her forehead and shakes her head. "I wasn't going to say any of that actually."

"Right" he answers, still not looking at her.

Donna lets out a deep sigh and Hyde's body tenses up. He gets ready for whatever it is she's going to throw his way, except that nothing comes. Instead of speaking, she starts picking up the various newspapers and folding them neatly. Hyde looks over at her and expects her to look back at him, but she doesn't.

"You're really not going to say anything?" he asks amused.

Donna shakes her head once again. "No. You're going to think whatever you want. That's how it's always been Hyde. That's how it's always going to be with you."

"What the hell does that mean?" he asks defensively.

Donna stops picking up the newspapers and finally looks over at him. "It's frustrating sometimes, being your friend. Seeing you screw yourself out of a good thing time after time...it's frustrating."

"I don't know what you're talking about Pinciotti" he says. Now he's getting mad. She has no right to tell him how much of a screw up he is or how miserable he is. Hell, he knows that. He doesn't need anyone reminding him of what he already knows.

"Of course you don't."

He glares coldly at his friend, his anger increasing. It's not so much what she's saying that angers him, but rather the disappointment in her eyes. Does she have a right to be disappointed? He doesn't owe anyone anything, much less when it has do with his life.

"I'm only saying this because I care about you Hyde. You're one of my best friends, and you can hate me if you want, but I don't want to see you going down this road the rest of your life. You won't like the person you become" she says. Donna gets off the couch and gathers the stack of papers. She shoots Hyde one last look before turning around and walking towards the side door.

Hyde watches as she reaches for the doorknob. She turns it and opens the door, but before stepping out says, "I'm her friend too...you really hurt her today."

Donna steps out of the basement, closing the door gently behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hyde stands at the bottom of the stairs looking up. He can't quite bring himself to start ascending the steps, and he doesn't exactly know why he's suddenly so anxious. He was perfectly calm when he left the basement just a few minutes ago. Now, for whatever reason, he feels his heartbeat increasing and his palms feel clammy. He runs his hands up and down his pant legs to get rid of the moisture. Reluctantly, he goes up the first step, then the second, the third...fourth...

He inhales deeply, but it does nothing to ease his nerves. He looks behind him at the staircase and his heartbeat starts slowing down a bit, but not as much as he would like. Even so, he starts making his way past a few closed doors. From the end of the hallway he can see a dim light emanating from a half-closed door. He hears the faint sound of music and tries to make out the song but is still too far away to hear enough of it.

He takes another deep breath and starts walking towards the lit room. He can now make out a few words from the song and his heart sinks a bit as he hears the sad lyrics.

_Brace yourself _he thinks before reaching for the doorknob and pushing the door open.

Inside the room, he spots Jackie laying on Donna's bed, her head facing away from the door so she does not see him right away. He can see the pages of a magazine she's reading as she rapidly flips through them. The radio in the corner is at full volume which makes it even harder for her to realize he's in the room. He takes a few seconds to stare at her form. Laying there with her head bopping to the rhythm of the song, she almost looks peaceful, as if nothing can disturb her space. Hyde instantly feels guilty for intruding and thinks about turning around and leaving her alone, but he knows he has to explain himself to make things right between them. As right as they can be anyway, given their recent history.

He walks over to where the radio is and presses the off button. Instantly, the room is filled with a deafening silence in which he holds his breath, awaiting her response. Jackie whips her head to see what has caused the music to stop and as soon as she spots him, her forehead furrows. She sits up on the bed quickly and rolls her eyes in his direction.

"What do you want Hyde?" she asks, her voice cold enough to send shivers down his body. Luckily, his glasses are still in place and mask the disappointment in his eyes. This is the same disappointment he gets every time she refers to him by his surname. It is something that, months later, he is still unaccustomed to coming from her.

"Jackie look, I just want to explain what happened in the basement" he starts. He pauses briefly to think about how he can begin to explain to her that he did not mean for her to hear what she did. He mentally curses himself for not having thought about it before coming to see her. Now stumped, he looks to her and can feel her anger radiating from across the room.

"Well?" she urges on, her arms crossing across her chest.

He remains silent and looks around the room. The sudden feeling of déjà vu makes it harder for him to collect his thoughts. He remembers the time he came to apologize in this room, after his affair with the nurse. After his indiscretion, he found her doing the same thing, lying in bed flipping through a magazine. He knew then, as he does now, that he hurt her and for whatever reason unbeknownst to him at the time at least, he needed to make it right. Had it been anyone else, he would not have given a second thought to their hurt feelings.

That was when he realized he did in fact love Jackie. After he told her about sleeping with the nurse, he couldn't stop beating himself up about being so stupid and impulsive. Most importantly, he couldn't stop thinking about how bad she must feel and the trust he had broken. The fact that he even cared told him that she meant more to him than he wanted to let on. He knew that he loved her.

"Hyde, what do you want?" she repeats and snaps him out of his trance.

"I, uh. I just wanted to apologize for what you heard down there. I-I. You were not supposed to hear that" he explains as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"Well, I did" she says matter-of-factly.

"I know that Jackie. I just mean that- Look you know how annoying Forman can be with his girly crap and he was just giving me shit about us so I had to shut him up somehow" Hyde says.

"You know what? It's fine. At least now I can really understand what really went wrong with us" she says.

"What do you mean?" Hyde asks.

"For a while I kept going over our relationship in my head," she starts, "and I couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when things stopped working-" she continues but is interrupted.

"Oh, so you mean Chicago wasn't it?" Hyde asks.

Jackie glowers at him and gets off the bed. "You have no idea how sick I am of you placing all the blame on me. You saw what you wanted to see in Chicago and decided to let your imagination take the best of you."

"What I wanted to see? Come on, Kelso was naked with a towel wrapped around him. That's not what I _wanted _to see, that's what I _saw._"

"And had you given me the chance to explain, you would have known why he was in a towel but instead you do what you always do and run away."

"So you're saying my walking out of that room is the moment we stopped working? Give me a break Jackie, you would have done the same thing if you caught me with some naked chick in a motel room" Hyde retorts.

"I'm not like you Hyde, I'm not going to blame our failure on you. I played a part in it too, but we were never going to succeed because like you said, you were never in love with me like I was with you."

Hyde clenches his jaw and as he looks directly into her eyes, he sees the hurt in them. No matter what strong façade she tries to put up or how brave she pretends to be, he knows that what she overheard really hurt her.

"Jackie," he sighs, "you know that's not true."

Jackie lowers her head and shakes it from side to side. "Just stop okay? I don't care anymore. I _can't _care anymore. God, I'm so sick of us. Sick of reliving our past together and not being able to forget what happened every time I go down to the basement. I...I wish we would have never gotten together" she says, raising her head at the last part.

Hyde's shoulder slumps as the words escape her mouth. "I'm sure that would have been easier" he says after a minute of silence.

"Easier, better...I should have known better. Should have known that no good was ever going to come from us getting together but I still let myself fall in love with you."

"Jackie-"

"And I have nothing to show for it except for the constant looks of pity I get from everyone or the whispers about my ex choosing a stripper over me."

"Jackie-"

"Don't. I'm tired of rehashing this Hyde."

"Fuck Jackie, let me talk. For once, just shut up and listen" Hyde says, his voice louder than before.

Jackie looks up at him with wide eyes, but she does not speak. Hyde takes this as a sign that she has agreed to remain silent and starts speaking immediately before she changes her mind.

"I came here to apologize to you. You know it's not easy for me to say sorry so just let me get this over with okay?"

Jackie reluctantly nods her head and looks directly into his sunglasses.

Hyde inhales and lets out a heavy sigh. "Forman just...Look, what you heard me say... I didn't mean that" he says. He notices her eyebrows rise and he is happy to have her full attention.

"I didn't mean it when I said I didn't love you. I know I wasn't the best boyfriend back then and I didn't always say the right things or make you feel better when you needed to, but I- I did love you."

"Oh really?" she asks sarcastically.

Hyde rolls his eyes in annoyance but chooses to ignore her response and continue talking instead. "I'm not the kind of person to outright show affection because I don't know what that looks like, I hadn't had that in my life growing up. I couldn't show you that I loved you but I did. I thought about you all the time and I tried to protect you and keep you from being hurt-" he pauses and stares down at his boots. Of course, he was the primary cause of all her pain.

"Ironic isn't it?" she asks, almost as though she can read his mind. Hyde looks back up to her and smirks. He sees a hint of a smile form across her lips.

Jackie slightly shakes her head again and runs a hand through her dark curls. "Can we just agree to leave all that baggage in the past? I think we're different people now and for both our sakes, it's best we just let it go."

"Really? That seems to easy. What's the catch?" Hyde asks jokingly but a bit disappointed she did not seem to be affected by the fact that he admitted how much he loved her.

Jackie lets out an involuntary laugh. "No catch. I told you, I'm tired of constantly having this looming over my head. I'm just ready to move on."

"I thought you already did" Hyde says and he realizes what he said after he says it.

Jackie's face straightens and she stares at Hyde for a few seconds. "I did...I have" she says.

Hyde nods his head and looks around the room. They are both silent for a while, Hyde trying to avoid eye contact and Jackie examining his movements, almost as though he's unfamiliar to her which he technically is after all this time.

"What-What's he like?" Hyde asks much to Jackie's surprise.

Her eye narrows and she can barely maintain eye contact when he looks back up. "He's...he's really nice" she finally replies.

"That's good" Hyde says.

"Yeah" she says still looking curiously at him.

"How long have you been seeing him?"

"Um, about three months."

"Is it...are you serious about him?"

"Still too early to tell, but he's a good guy" she says and, realizing that she's exposing too much of her private life to her ex-boyfriend, stops herself from saying anymore.

Again, Hyde nods his head. "I should go" he says.

"Yeah, okay" Jackie replies, relieved that he's not asking anymore questions about her dating life.

As Hyde makes his way towards the bedroom door, Jackie can't help but look after him. Despite the way they ended and all the animosity between them throughout the last several months, part of her still cares about him. She knows, from his questions about who she is dating, that he still cares about her too. She is afraid that no matter how badly she wants to forget the history they have, and all the heart breaks that comes with it, she will never be able to.

"Hyde" she calls out and forces him to stop and turn back to look at her.

"If you did love me, like you say you did, why couldn't you see a future with me?"

The question startles them both. Not only does Jackie not know where the sudden need for an answer came from, but Hyde hadn't expected it.

He takes a moment to look at her. Everything about her is so familiar to him. Her curls, her lips and her eyes that express every possible emotion within her. Yet at the same time, he can tell that she's not the same girl who would sacrifice everything to make him happy. "I didn't see a future for myself at all. It had nothing to do with you. I was the problem."

"Why couldn't you tell me that then?" she asks, her voice sad.

"I didn't know that then Jackie. I guess it's something I just realized after...after us" he says.

"So it was just bad timing, us I mean" Jackie says but it does not come out as a question but rather an observation.

"I guess so, yeah" he replies.

"I see" Jackie says. She walks over to the bed and sits at the edge of it. From the entry way, Hyde waits to see if she is going to say anything else. Instead, she looks over at him and smiles. He raises an eyebrow curiously.

"So Sam...how did she fit into your life? What was different about her that you married her?"

The question confuses Hyde. He wasn't expecting her to ask about Sam after smiling at him. He knows it's a sore subject for her and yet it seems as though she's making light of it.

"I wasn't really married to Sam" he states.

"You didn't know that" she informs him.

"She didn't expect anything. It was easy. It was so easy to come home and just have someone who would get me a beer and have sex-" he starts but stops when he sees her flinch at the word. "Sorry" he says.

"I expected too much then, was that it?" Jackie asks.

"I thought you were tired of rehashing this Jackie" Hyde says not liking where the conversation is heading. He knows that every time they start talking about Sam and his choice of keeping her around, an argument is bound to happen.

"I figured since you asked me questions about my boyfriend I could ask questions about your ex-wife" Jackie says, her tone much more detached than before.

"We're friends Jackie. I was just curious about who you were hanging out with. You know, if you decide to bring him around, I have to know this guy is cool" Hyde says, remembering the conversation he was having with the guys before. Automatically, though, he feels stupid for even saying this.

"Oh don't worry, Matthew will not be coming to the basement and we are _not _friends" Jackie says.

"Whatever" Hyde says.

Jackie groans and rolls her eyes. "Forget I asked anything at all" she says frustrated that they are falling back into their old routine.

"Okay princess" he says from his spot at the other end of the room. Jackie turns to look at him and gets off the bed. Her frustration only escalates once he calls her that and she starts walking over to him.

"You know what?" she says when she is finally face to face with him.

Hyde smirks but doesn't respond. Even though he did not intend to upset her, knowing that he can still get to her so easily gives him a strange sense of satisfaction.

"You don't change. You're the same arrogant son-of-a-bitch you've always been. You don't know how to be sincere, all you ever want is to get a rise out of people to amuse yourself because you have nothing else going for you."

"Tell me how you really feel _princess_" he says, making sure to emphasize the word she considers such an insult.

Jackie's eyes widen and she raises her hands to his chest to shove him back, but Hyde is able to grasp her arms and stop her.

"Calm down" he tells her as she struggles to free her arms from him and push him away.

The more she struggles, the longer Hyde holds on to her. "Jackie, please just calm down. Look I'm sorry" he says.

Still wriggling to free herself, she spews more insults at him.

Frustrated with how this situation has turned out, Hyde loosens his grip on her but knows that as soon as he lets go, she will try to shove him.

"Let go of me Steven" she says. Oddly enough, hearing her say his name comforts him and he lets go of her arms. She does not shove him and she does not hit him. Instead, they just stand still at their spots, their breathing heavier than before.

"I'm sorry I grabbed you" Hyde tells Jackie, hoping to calm her down a bit.

She looks into his sunglasses-clad eyes and remains still until her breathing evens out. "We always end up here" she says looking down, her voice low and barely audible.

"I know" Hyde replies.

"Why?"

"I was hoping you could tell me" Hyde says, a smirk forming on his lips. Hyde brings his hands up and places his index finger beneath her chin. He slowly forces her to look at him. When she is, he says "I really am sorry."

She remains silent and just stares at him. Feeling uncomfortable, Hyde lowers his arm and thrusts his hands into his jean pockets.

"Jackie-" he starts but is cut off when her lips press against his. Shocked, it takes a moment for Hyde to react. Within seconds, his arms are snaked around her small waist and he is pressing his body as close to hers as possible. He hears her moans against his lips and he revels in the reaction a simple kiss is having on her.

Without breaking the kiss, he starts walking towards the bed and is pleasantly surprised when she deepens the kiss by putting her tongue in his mouth. Soon, he is laying her down on the bed and she is reaching for the hem of his t-shirt to bring it above his head.

"Hey," he says after breaking away from her, "are you sure you want to do this?"

Without hesitating, Jackie nods her head and proceeds to pull his shirt off. She reaches to grab his hair and pulls him down for a kiss.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well this chapter turned out to be longer than I anticipated, but what can I say? I love a good J/H scene. I hope the story title is starting to make sense now. Stay tuned to see what happens next.


	4. Chapter 4

Jackie lays still on the bed, staring up at the blank ceiling, her hair wet and matted against her forehead. She does not dare move or speak a word to the man lying next to her. Instead, she focuses on blinking back the tears that are threatening to spill out of her eyes. After nearly a year of trying to break away from anything having to do with her ex-boyfriend, she willingly sleeps with him. To make matters worst, she can not stop thinking about Matthew and how she has just betrayed him. Thanks to the very man she is lying next to, she knows how awful it is to be cheated on. Yet, here she is, having just cheated on her boyfriend who has been nothing but amazing to her with the man who caused her so much pain throughout their time together.

She takes a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut. _Stop thinking, stop thinking _she demands of herself, but to no avail. Matthew's face keeps popping into her mind and this only makes her feel worst about herself.

"Jackie" comes the voice next to her, but she does not open her eyes. Instead, she shakes her head from side to side to discourage him from saying anything else.

"Hey" he continues, and she suddenly feels his hand caressing her cheek. This contact is the trigger than finally causes her tears to fall. She feels the drops sliding down her cheeks and her body involuntarily starts to quiver.

"Stop, please stop crying" he says, his voice low and husky.

But she can't stop. She can't stop the immediate guilt consuming her or the realization that, as wrong as this is, she liked it.

"Jackie, come on. Stop crying" Hyde says and he starts wiping the tears off her face.

The longer she feels his hands against her face, the less control of her emotions she has. She opens her eyes and brings her hands up to move his away. Quickly, she sits up on the bed and starts collecting her discarded clothes from the floor. She keeps her back to him as she is getting dressed but can feel his eyes on her. She slides on her skirt and walks across the room to where her shoes landed after she threw them.

"Jackie" Hyde calls out again, but she ignores him, takes a seat on Donna's chair and starts putting her shoes on.

"Hey" he says and she hears him pull the covers aside.

Hyde walks over to her, his boxers being the only article of clothing he has on. "Can you stop? Talk to me" he says.

Once more, she shakes her head and reaches for her other shoe. She doesn't look up at him because she knows that as soon as she looks into his eyes, she won't be able to control her emotions.

"Damn it Jackie, stop and look at me" he demands. When she doesn't, he kneels down before her and makes her look at him. Her tear-stained eyes tell him all he needs to know and rather than press her to speak, he takes hold of her hands and kisses them gently. As he expected, this only causes her to cry more but at least now he can comfort her.

"I'm sorry" he says before kissing the back of her hands. He repeats this a few times but no other words are spoken. After a few minutes, Jackie has stopped crying and slowly pulls her hands away from his.

"That shouldn't have happened" she says, her voice quivering with each word. She finds it hard to maintain eye contact so instead she focuses on his hair. His curls are messier than usual, just as she remembers them being after they had sex all those months ago. She hates herself for even remembering this. "It was a mistake and it was stupid...it shouldn't have happened" she repeats.

Hyde stands back up and starts pacing in front of her, but does not respond.

Jackie looks up at him and sees that he is upset. "Hyde look-" she starts before he interrupts her.

"So I'm back to Hyde now?" he asks. He stops pacing and looks at her.

"What?" she asks confused.

"You have sex with me and I'm Hyde again" he says, anger more prominent in his voice.

"What do you want me to say?" she pleads getting off the chair.

"Nothing, I don't want you to say anything" he says. Hyde turns from her and walks towards the bed to gather his own clothing. He manages to put his pants on before she responds.

"Please don't make this more complicated than it needs to be" Jackie says from across the room. Immediately, Hyde turns to look at her.

"More complicated than it needs to be? Fine. We had sex. That's all this is to you so let's leave it at that" he says before turning back to grab his shirt off the floor and slipping it on.

"That's not what I meant" she says. Jackie leaves her spot from across the room and starts making her way towards him.

"Whatever Jackie" is all he says. He grabs his sunglasses from the bedside table and puts them on before turning around to find his boots.

"Hyd- Steven" she quickly corrects herself. He walks by her and does not answer. She follows him and grabs his arm but only to have him shake her off.

"Don't" he says and she can tell he is mad from the way he says it.

"Steven..." Jackie trails off. What can she say? I'm sorry I used you for sex but I need to get back to my boyfriend now? "I'm sorry I started this" she finally says.

"Whatever Jackie" Hyde says again as he slips on his boot.

"This wasn't just sex to me" she tells him which makes him look up.

"No? What was it then?"

Jackie looks at the floor for a second and tries to process her feelings. It's true that it wasn't just sex. It was never just sex with Steven. Even that summer they were just messing around, it always felt like more. Despite all the horrible things that have happened between them, there was an undeniable passion that she hasn't been able to find with anyone else. He knows her and knows what she wants and needs. There is no need for her to say anything, he just gets her.

"I don't know, I guess it was just the closure I needed" she tells him. The harsh look on his face, however, tells her that is not what he wanted to hear.

Hyde straightens up and walks over to her and stands mere centimeters from her. Jackie is nervous at what reaction he might have or what hurtful words he's about to say to her. She braces herself for anything, knowing that she probably deserves it. Saying it was closure only reinforces that she did in fact use him for her own benefit and that this was just sex. She takes a deep breath and holds it, waiting for him to do or say anything.

Instead, he scoffs and shakes his head. Even with his sunglasses on, she can see that he is a bit hurt by her words.

"I'm sorry" she says again.

Hyde holds her gaze for a while longer but does not do or say anything else. Then, he turns his back to her and walks out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

_The next day:_

Donna and Eric walk over to their usual booth at the Hub, both equally as excited to start digging into their burgers after a long day spent in Madison looking for the perfect apartment.

"I say we just pick the first one," Eric says to her as they reclaim their seats on the booth across from Jackie and her boyfriend Matthew. "It's close to the school and there's that comic book store right across the street."

Donna slides into the booth after him and rolls her eyes. Of course he's more excited about a comic book store than the actual apartment where they'll be starting a new life together. "Eric, we can't choose our new home based on how close it is to a comic store. Besides, that apartment was pretty small don't you think?" she asks.

"Small? How much space do we need Donna? I mean, look at me, I don't exactly need too much space" Eric replies.

"He's right" Jackie says.

Eric gives her a menacing look from across the table before popping a few fries into his mouth. He then looks over at Matthew who has been mostly quite. Being the first time he's met this guy, Eric is curious about him. "So Matthew, what dark spell has the devil here placed on you to make you stick around?" Eric asks.

Donna nudges him with her elbow to which Eric simply shrugs.

"Uh, I'm not sure what you mean" Matthew replies as he looks to Jackie for clarification.

"Don't listen to him baby, he thinks he's being funny but you're not, are you Eric?" she says in a threatening tone that has become all too customary between them over the years.

"I don't know Satan, I find myself pretty amusing" Eric replies.

"Yeah, well I guess someone has to" Jackie replies.

The playful banter between the two continues for a while. Donna sits in silence enjoying the scene before her. Despite all the changes they have all endured over the last year, it is nice to be able to sit in a familiar place and have things be like they used to, if only for a little while. The only difference is the new guy sitting before her, with his arms draped across her friend's shoulders.

"How did you guys meet?" Donna suddenly asks as she gestures between Jackie and Matthew.

As soon as the question is asked, Jackie's eyes light up and her excitement to tell the story is clear. Eric groans and braces himself for the inevitable exaggeration of Jackie's fairy tale.

"Oh you're going to love this story. I was in the mall because there was this big sale at the make up store, you know the one on the third floor right next to the-" Jackie starts before Eric interrupts her.

"Just get to the point!" he says not wanting to sit through more unnecessary details.

"Fine! So rude. Anyway, there I was, making my way to the make up store when this creepy guy walks up to me and starts hitting on me. I mean, I couldn't really blame him because I was looking especially beautiful that day, but he started grabbing me and being a little too forward. Lucky for me, Matthew was walking by and saw what was going on so he walks over to us and confronts the guy. He was so brave because the other guy was really big, but Matthew was my hero that day."

"So he told saved you from a creep? That's really sweet" Donna says.

"Thank you. I wasn't trying to be a hero, I just noticed how uncomfortable she looked and knew I had to step in" Matthew replies.

Jackie turns to him and kisses him on the cheek. "I'm so glad you did" she said and moved her chair closer to his.

"You guys are making me sick" Eric exclaims which makes Matthew laugh.

The foursome continue having a good time, all the while Eric is trying to figure out if he likes Matthew enough to hang out with him, seeing as Donna is Jackie's best friend it would be inevitable for the two men to not cross paths often. Overall, he seems like a nice enough guy, but there had to be something wrong with him if he willingly dated the devil's spawn.

Suddenly, Eric looks over Jackie's shoulder and asks, "hey, who's that with Hyde?"

Both Donna and Jackie look in the direction Eric is pointing to and spot Hyde over by the counter, his arms draped across some blonde's shoulders. Jackie watches as he leans closer to her ears and whispers something that makes her laugh uncontrollably. Whatever he said, Jackie thinks, it's probably not that funny.

Trying to appear nonchalant, Jackie turns back around and shrugs her shoulder. She takes a sip of her soda, looks over at Matthew and smiles.

"Taylor something or other," Donna starts. "I used to have math class with her in high school."

"I wonder how he met her, we all know Hyde didn't go to class" Eric says.

"Well it is a small town, everyone knows everyone" Matthew replies.

"No offense, but I didn't know you before you started dating Jackie and I've lived here all my life...God I really need to get out of Point Place" Eric says.

Donna kicks him gently on his leg which earns her a quizzical look from her boyfriend. Leave it to Eric to sound like a total tool and not even realize it.

"Oh who cares, she's probably some stoner he met at a corner somewhere. Anyways, I was thinking maybe you guys wanted to come over to the apartment Sunday and we can all have game night. I really want Matthew to meet everyone else" Jackie proposed, trying hard to keep from being distracted by Hyde and his floozy date.

Donna and Matthew both nodded their heads.

"Could be fun, maybe then we can find out the story with those two" Eric said pointing and Hyde and Taylor.

"Oh, I guess Hyde can come too then" Jackie said, her excitement deflated.

"You did say you wanted Matthew to meet everyone. Hyde is part of the group so he might as well" Donna said, a knowing smile on her face.

Jackie glared at her friend but didn't want Matthew to think there was anything weird going on. "You're right, _Donna_" she says, "he might as well come."

"Cool, game night at Jackie's!" Eric exclaims before taking another bite of his burger.

Jackie tries to put up a big smile when Matthew looks at her. However, when she turns around, she sees Hyde kissing Taylor and an anger rises within her. She knows right away that this would be a disaster.

**Author's Note: **_Sorry it took so long to update, I was busy with a summer class I was taking which is thankfully over already. I'm hoping to crank out chapters fairly quickly and finish by the first week of August. Thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Sunday: **_Game Night-_

Jackie fuzzed around her little apartment trying to set things up before her friends came over. She took a few plastic bowls from the cabinets and opened bags of chips and dip. She popped the cans of beer in the refrigerator, giving them enough time to get cold. Just a few feet away, Matthew sat on her couch staring from the television to her.

"You sure you don't want me to help?" he asks.

Jackie shakes her head and smiles at him. "I'm okay babe, don't worry."

Matthew nods his head and goes back to watching the football game, a can of beer keeping him even more occupied.

Jackie wants this day to be perfect, not because her friends expect it, but because it's the first time they have spent time in her new apartment with her new boyfriend. Besides Eric and Donna, none of the others have met Matthew. Part of her is still worried that it may not be the right time to introduce him to the rest, if only for the fact that their relationship is still fairly new and she didn't want him to be scared off by Kelso, Fez and especially Hyde.

At the thought of his name, she feels shivers going down her arms. She's been trying so hard over the last few days to forget what happened between the two of them. She has been avoiding the basement even more than before and besides the day at the Hub, she had not seen him. She was sure that he preferred it that way also, especially now that he was preoccupied with someone else. Thinking about Taylor made Jackie shiver even more.

It's not that she cares that he's seeing someone else, who is she to stop him given that they haven't been together in over a year and she herself is in a relationship. However, she had no doubt that Hyde was only passing the time with Taylor to get over what happened between the two of them.

_Arrogant much _Jackie thinks to herself and shakes the thought out of her mind and keeps shuffling about.

A little over an hour later, the doorbell rings and Jackie rushes over to get it. She greets Donna, Eric and Fez.

"Welcome to my apartment" she says, stepping to the side to let them in.

"Uh, thanks but Donna and I have already been here" Eric exclaims as he steps in and makes his way towards Matthew and the television.

"Well Fez hasn't so I was really talking to him" Jackie replies and closes the door behind her friends.

Donna shakes her head as she sees her boyfriend already claiming a seat in front of the television.

"Please tell me the game is almost done," Donna says to Jackie, "I did not leave the Forman's basement to watch these guys sit in front of the TV here too."

Jackie shrugs, "you're really asking the wrong person Donna. I don't even know how long these games are supposed to be."

Donna sighs and walks over to the kitchen table and takes a seat. Jackie and Fez follow behind her. "You're not going to watch the game Fez?" Jackie asks when she sees her foreign friend pulling out a chair across from Donna.

"No, I'd rather sit and gossip with you lovely ladies. Got any candy?"

Jackie shakes her head and looks over at Donna who just shrugs. They should be used to Fez's weird antics by now, but once in a while he does something that makes them question whether they've seen it all.

"Oh!" Jackie exclaims, "Fez I have to introduce you to Matthew."

"Oh right, the new man" Fez says and stands up. He follows Jackie to where the two men are.

"Babe," Jackie interrupts and smiles when Matthew looks up. "I want you to meet my friend Fez."

Matthew stands up from the couch and walks over to Fez. He extends his hand. "It's nice to meet you. Jackie has told me good things about you."

Fez grabs hold of Matthew's hand and shakes it. "Oh really? Has she told you that we did it?"

Matthew furrows his forehead and looks over at Jackie.

"Fez! We did _not _do it" she says, annoyed that this is the first impression Matthew has of her other friends.

"It was worth a shot" Fez says letting go of Matthew's hand.

Matthew gives him a confused look and decided against saying anything more. He turned back towards the couch where Eric gave him a "what are you gonna do" look and both men just resumed watching the game. Jackie rolled her eyes when Fez turned to look at her and walked back over to Donna.

"What?" Fez called out trailing behind her.

"Are Michael and Hyde coming?" Jackie asks Donna when she finally reaches her.

"Kelso said he would be a little late, had to drop off Betsy at his mother's. I haven't seen Hyde all day so I couldn't tell you" Donna replied. She reached over to one of the bowls and picked up a few chips.

"He said he might come but had plans with Taylor tonight so they wouldn't be able to stay long" Eric called out from his spot on the couch.

"Oh okay, good" Jackie says and grabs some chips of her own.

Donna notices the tone of her friend's voice and gives her a questioning look.

"What Donna?" Jackie asks.

"I don't know Jackie, you tell me" Donna responds.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about" Jackie replies and pops a few chips in her mouth.

"Ooh, is Fez missing something here?" Fez asks.

"I think we're both missing something Fez" Donna says, "maybe Jackie can tell us what's going on."

"There's nothing going on you big lumberjack" Jackie says rolling her eyes. Why is it that her friends where capable of picking up the things she did not want them to yet completely failed to pay attention when she needed them most, such as right after Sam came around.

"Little lady is getting defensive. That means something is up" Fez says which makes Donna laugh and nod.

"Ugh, whatever. You two are so annoying" Jackie tells them.

Donna laughs again, "I think you're right Fez."

Jackie rolls her eyes once more and calls out "who wants a beer?" before standing up and walking over to the refrigerator.


	7. Chapter 7

_Game Night Continued-_

Jackie stands near the sink in the kitchen throwing side glances at Matthew who is still watching the game with Eric but now the two men are joined by Fez who decided he needed a little male bonding time. Donna, who is standing beside Jackie, is trying to fill her distracted friend in on her failed apartment hunt and her growing anxiety as they are running out of time to find a place to live come August.

"I can't count on Eric because he settles for anything so I'm basically by myself here" Donna says. She is aware that she only has half of Jackie's attention but it feels good to let off some steam to someone other than Eric.

"Uh huh" Jackie replies, her attention still on the three boys on the couch. She is wary that Fez might do or say something to Matthew that will ruin the night before it even starts.

"Like the apartment near the comic store, the place is a real dump. Seriously, I don't understand what he's even thinking considering it" Donna continues.

"Donna, stop. Eric's a man," Jackie starts but scrunches her face at the words Eric and man in the same sentence. "Well, more like a man-child, but whatever. You can't count on him to make important decisions. You have final say and he just has to go with that. Have you learned nothing from me?" Jackie says turning her attention to Donna.

"I don't know Jackie, that seems a bit manipulative" she answers.

"Oh who cares. You can either pick an apartment you like or live like two packed sardines in a shitty apartment filled with comic books. Your choice" Jackie replies folding her arms across her chest.

Donna ponders the thought in her head and looks over at Eric. Her boyfriend would take full advantage of the close proximity of a comic book store and most likely fill their apartment with countless comics and whatever other trinkets he could find or trade with other dorks. The thought alone made her claustrophobic and she had no choice but to agree with Jackie. She slowly nods her head.

"As usual, I have to do all the work" Donna says.

Jackie makes a disgusted face as her train of thought instantly leads her to Donna and Eric's sex life. "Ew Donna" she answers before walking away from her friend.

_30 minutes later-_

The doorbell begins ringing incessantly and Jackie runs over to open the door before her neighbors start getting annoyed. When she flings the door ajar, Michael Kelso stands on the other side, a huge goofy smile on his face and he's carrying two packs of beer, one on each hand.

"Alright, let's party!" he yells as he thrusts the beers to Jackie and walks past her.

The tiny brunette struggles to grasp the two packs and close the door behind her friend. She can't help but roll her eyes as she makes her way back to the kitchen and starts putting the beers in the fridge.

"Michael," she calls out, "this is not a party. It's just game night and you didn't have to bring beer, we already have enough."

"You can never have enough beer Jackie" Kelso responds completely ignoring her "not a party" comment.

"Hey Kelso, where's Brooke?" Donna asks.

"Not here" Kelso says as he settles on a chair by the television.

"I know dillhole I can see that. Where is she?"

"Damn Donna, I don't know I'm not her mother" Kelso shoots back.

Donna opens her mouth and decides it's best not to say anything.

"So, how much longer until the game is done?" Jackie asks, "we should start game night soon before it gets too late."

"It should be over soon babe" Matthew calls out from his spot in the couch. He looks up to Jackie and beckons her over. She happily obliges and walks over to her boyfriend. Taking a seat next to him, she nuzzles her head on his shoulder and is happy when he wraps his arms around her shoulders. Despite not understanding the game too well, she is happy that the night has started off on a good note and that Matthew seems to be fitting in well with her friends.

Him being the first person outside of their group that she has dated made her nervous about how he would be received by the others. Michael, Steven and even Fez had been friends before she was even a member of their little group so when she dated them, the dynamics did not change much despite Eric's constant allegations that she was the Yoko of the group. She was not sure they would take a liking to a whole new person who was not in on their inside jokes or even understood why they spent so much time hanging out in a dingy basement.

She herself had been hesitant to date someone new, specially after the way things had ended with Hyde and how much that damaged the group. Though she dated Fez briefly after that, it had never been accepted as anything serious and everyone was just waiting for the relationship to dissipate as quickly as it started. Matthew, however, represented a clean break from everything she had been accustomed to since her first years of high school. This clean-cut, wholesome guy was nothing like what she was used to and at first, she couldn't even imagine being in a relationship with him even though he is the exact kind of guy 16-year old Jackie would have gone for.

After several run ins with him around town, she decided to break her pattern, which had proven to be extremely detrimental, and allow herself to go back to the innocence of her youth where she believed in prince charming and happily ever afters.

Thus far, their relationship has been amazing. No games are being played and she can sleep peacefully at night knowing that Matthew would not stray or break her heart.

The thought suddenly evoked the painful reminder that this time around, she was the one straying and making decisions that could possible break his heart. By willingly sleeping with her ex-boyfriend, she is becoming everything she detests and stands against. Jackie Burkhart is not a cheater. She is a faithful, loving girlfriend who would bend backwards and forwards to make her man happy...at least she was a few days ago. Sitting next to Matthew as he gently caresses her arm, unaware of everything going through her mind, makes Jackie's stomach drop.

Almost as if on cue, the doorbell rings causing Jackie to sit straight up.

"Hyde's here" Eric says.

Jackie offers Matthew a small smile and stands up from her spot on the couch. As her back is turned to her friends, she closes her eyes and takes a small breath, trying to brace herself.

**Author's Note: **Again, I'm really sorry for the slow update. I have gotten two chapters ahead so the next update won't take as long. Thanks for everyone who is reading and those who take the time to review, I appreciate it. Til next time!


	8. Chapter 8

Jackie pulls open the door and tries her best to keep the smile on her face as she sees her ex-boyfriend standing on the other side with his arms loosely draped around Taylor's shoulders. The leggy blonde offers Jackie a lazy smirk and hands her 6-pack.

"Thanks for coming" Jackie offers, grabbing the beer from Taylor and giving them more space to step inside.

"Thank you for having us" Taylor answers as she grabs Hyde's hand and leads him inside. Hyde, however, does not acknowledge Jackie and simply follows Taylor. Jackie rolls her eyes once their back is to her and shakes her head when she remembers the beer. She closes the door and walks over to the fridge to store even more cans.

From the kitchen, Jackie looks over at her friends and sees that Hyde has settled quite comfortably on a chair across from Matthew and Taylor has taken her place on his lap. Jackie's eyes narrow at her ex's display of affection occurring so soon after his arrival. As she starts silently cursing the two newcomers, she catches herself and looks over at Matthew who is having a conversation with Kelso and Fez. She looks at Donna who is now standing just a few feet from her talking to Eric and the redhead shakes her head, as to reassure Jackie that any conversation involving Kelso and Fez is not a good idea.

_Oh crap, _Jackie thinks to herself and quickly makes her way over to her boyfriend, hoping that the two fools haven't said anything that would scare him off.

"What are we talking about?" she says as squeezes between Fez and Matthew, reclaiming her previous spot.

"We're just telling Matt...is it okay if we call you Matt?" Kelso asks.

Matthew nods his head and Kelso quickly resumes filling Jackie in. "We're telling Matt here about our plans for Halloween. He agreed to come trick-or-treating with us, isn't that right buddy?"

Jackie frowns and looks at her boyfriend who simply shrugs. She shakes her head from side to side. "Sorry guys, but _Matt _will be spending Halloween with me, isn't that right babe?" she asks batting her eyes innocently at her boyfriend.

Matthew nods, "sorry guys, but what the lady says goes" he says. Kelso groans, "damn Jackie, you always ruin the fun" and storms off towards the kitchen to grab another beer. Without a word, Fez follows his taller friend.

After the two guys are a safe distance away, Matthew leans closer to Jackie and whispers into her ear, "thanks for the rescue."

Jackie laughs, "anytime" she says and gives him a quick peck on the lips.

From across the table comes a cough and Jackie turns her head to see Hyde looking in her direction. "Sorry to interrupt the love fest, but I don't think we've been introduced" he says to Matthew.

"You're right, sorry" Matthew says and stands up extending his hand to Hyde. "Matthew" he says.

With Taylor still sitting on him, Hyde is unable to stand but extends his arm and shakes Matthew's hand. "Hyde" he says and with his head motions to Taylor. "This is Taylor" Hyde adds and Matthew offers the blonde her hand which she loosely shakes.

"Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you" Matthew says.

"You have? So weird" Taylor says which makes Jackie laugh. She catches herself, however, when she notices Hyde looking at her through his sunglasses. She shrugs and shakes her head at him.

"Um, actually I was speaking about Hyde" Matthew recovers right before taking his seat once more.

"Oh, well that makes sense" Taylor adds and giggles.

Matthew offers her a small smile before looking at Jackie who is still trying to contain her laughter.

"Huh, well I haven't heard too much about you" Hyde says to Matthew. The tone of his voice goes undetected by Matthew but it's one that Jackie knows all too well. The passive-aggressive aloofness of his voice lets Jackie knows that he is wary, perhaps even threatened by Matthew, and a small part of her likes that. She smirks and raiser her brows in amusement.

"So are the two of you together?" Matthew asks motioning between Hyde and Taylor.

"You can say that"

"No" they answer in unison and Taylor seems taken aback by Hyde's response.

Jackie's smirk widens and she sits back on the couch, waiting to see what happens next.

"Oh, I mean...I think we're still getting to know each other so we're kind of dating, right Hyde?" Taylor asks. Although she is amused by the scene before her, Jackie does feel bad for the girl as she knows what it's like to be with Hyde and not know exactly where she stands or even what their relationship is. She can recall all the times she questioned whether they were together or not.

"I guess" Hyde replies. He pats the side of her leg forcing her to stand up. "I'm going to grab a beer, you want one?" he asks her and she nods her head, her previous enthusiasm gone. "Sure."

"I'll join you" Matthew tells Hyde and they both head over to kitchen.

"So..." Jackie says a short time later, trying to ease the awkwardness that lingers now that Taylor seems upset at Hyde's lack of commitment.

"Um...you have a nice place" Taylor offers, trying her best to lighten the mood.

"Thank you" Jackie says. She immediately feels guilty for taking pleasure in the poor girl's misery before. "Fez, over there" she says pointing towards Fez, "helped me pick a lot of the things here. He's a foreigner but he's got good taste."

Taylor smiles a bit but still seemed distracted.

"Hey, if it helps, Hyde can be a bit of a jerk. Doesn't mean he doesn't like you" Jackie says and as the words escape her mouth, she feels weird giving another girl advice on her ex-boyfriend.

"I thought we were on to something, I mean he did say sex was the best with me. That has to mean something" Taylor says.

Jackie cringes at this information and a pang of anger builds inside her. "He said that?" she asks and clenches her jaw when Taylor nods in affirmation.

"I'll be right back" Jackie says. She stands and makes her way towards the kitchen where her friend are and finds Matthew talking to Hyde about the game that just finished. As the anger continues bubbling inside her, Jackie walks past Hyde and stands in front of Matthew.

"What's going on bab-" he starts before presses her lips against his. Though taking aback at first, Matthew welcomes the affection and within seconds the two are engaged in a passionate kiss. Jackie makes sure to produce a few soft moans that she is sure Hyde can hear. When she pulls away from Matthew, she smiles at his lustful expression and slowly turns around to see Hyde standing there having watched the entire thing. She can make out his cold glare behind his sunglasses and she smirks at him.

"Let the games begin" she calls out to everyone, her eyes never breaking contact with Hyde's.


End file.
